Psychological Assessment I: Ethical Considerations PDF

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I Lesson 2: Ethical Considerations Ethical Considerations Ethics - a body of principles of right, proper, o...

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I Lesson 2: Ethical Considerations Ethical Considerations Ethics - a body of principles of right, proper, or good conduct. Code of professional ethics - defines the standard of care expected of members of a certain profession. Standard of care - the level at which the average, reasonable, and prudent professional would provide diagnostic or therapeutic services under the same or similar conditions. The Concerns of the  Some people are not convinced that Testing is sufficient or useful Public  Others are even fearful about their tests because they think it might be used against them. The Concerns of the As early as 1895 the American Psychological Association (APA), in its infancy, formed its first committee on mental Profession measurement. The committee was charged with investigating various aspects of the relatively new practice of testing. Test-user qualifications  Level A: Tests or aids that can adequately be administered, scored, and interpreted with the aid of the manual and a general orientation to the kind of institution or organization in which one is working (for instance, achievement or proficiency tests).  Level B: Tests or aids that require some technical knowledge of test construction and use and of supporting psychological and educational fields such as statistics, individual differences, psychology of adjustment, personnel psychology, and guidance (e.g., aptitude tests and adjustment inventories applicable to normal populations).  Level C: Tests and aids that require substantial understanding of testing and supporting psychological fields together with supervised experience in the use of these devices (for instance, projective tests, individual mental tests). (According to RA 10029 - The Philippine Psychology Act of 2009)  Psychometricians - Test administration and scoring of standardized tests  Psychologists - Test administration, scoring, interpretation of standardized and projective tests. Testing people with disabilities. Challenges may include (1) transforming the test into a form that can be taken by the testtaker, (2) transforming the responses of the testtaker so that they are scorable, and (3) meaningfully interpreting the test data. Computerized test administration, scoring, and interpretation. Computer-assisted psychological assessment (CAPA) has become more the norm than the exception. An ever-growing number of psychological tests can be purchased on disc or administered and scored online.For assessment professionals, some major issues are as follows:  Access to test administration, scoring, and interpretation software.Despite purchase restrictions on software and technological safeguards to guard against unauthorized copying, software may still be copied.  Comparability of pencil-and-paper and computerized versions of tests. In many instances the comparability of the traditional and the computerized forms of the test has not been researched or has only insufficiently been researched.  The value of computerized test interpretations. Thousands of words are spewed out every day in the form of test interpretation results, but the value of these words in many cases is questionable.  Unprofessional, unregulated “psychological testing” online. A growing number of Internet sites purport to provide, usually for a fee, online psychological tests. Yet the vast majority of the tests offered would not meet a psychologist’s standards. The Rights of  The right of informed consent - Testtakers have a right to know why they are being evaluated, how the test Testtakers data will be used, and what (if any) information will be released to whom. With full knowledge of such information, testtakers give their informed consent to be tested. The disclosure of the information needed for consent must, of course, be in language the testtaker can understand. ◦ General purpose of the testing ◦ Specific reason it is being undertaken in the present case ◦ General type of instruments to be administered  The right to be informed of test findings - Because of the possibility of untoward consequences of providing individuals with information about themselves—ability, lack of ability, personality, values—the communication of results of a psychological test is a most important part of the evaluation process. With sensitivity to the situation, the test user will inform the testtaker (and the parent or the legal representative Page 1|2  or both) of the purpose of the test, the meaning of the score relative to those of other testtakers, and the possible limitations and margins of error of the test. And regardless of whether such reporting is done in person or in writing, a qualified professional should be available to answer any further questions that testtakers (or their parents or legal representatives) have about the test scores.  The right to privacy and confidentiality - The concept of the privacy right “recognizes the freedom of the individual to pick and choose for himself the time, circumstances, and particularly the extent to which he wishes to share or withhold from others his attitudes, beliefs, behavior, and opinions”. A psychologist must keep confidential versus what must be disclosed. Another ethical mandate with regard to confidentiality involves the safekeeping of test data. Test users must take reasonable precautions to safeguard test records. If these data are stored in a filing cabinet, then the cabinet should be locked and preferably made of steel. If these data are stored in a computer, electronic safeguards must be taken to ensure only authorized access.  The right to the least stigmatizing label - The Standards advise that the least stigmatizing labels should always be assigned when reporting test results.  The right to withdraw RA 10029 - The Philippine RA 10029 seeks to regulate the practice of psychology and psychometrics in the Philippines to protect the public Psychology Act of 2009 from inexperienced or untrained individuals offering psychological services, and to nurture competent, upright and assiduous psychologists whose standards of practice are excellent and globally competitive. RA 10029 has created the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology which will monitor the registration, licensure and practice of psychologists and psychometricians in the Philippines. The new law has also required psychologists and psychometricians (with certain exceptions) to pass a Licensure Examination. Reference: Cohen, R. J. (2018). Psychological testing and assessment (9th Edition). McGraw-Hill Education. Page 2|2